My new Richenbacher DC-16

Jean-Sebastien Gauthier · From: Quebec, Canada

Hi guys, I received the steel today, it have an amazing tone! The only problems I have with it is that the nut is poorly made, the string spacing at the nut is not regular, I wounder if its normal?

The other thing is that the controls dont leave much room for the right hand but if I keep it really close to the pickups its not to bad.

Maybe I can ask a good tech to remake the grooves at the nuts but Im a little afraid to do damage to an old great guitar.

Jim Rossen · From: Iowa, USA

Re: control location-
Reverse selector switch so knob is away from active neck.
Replace switch knob with a vinyl screw protector cap.
Replace control knob with a smaller and shorter knob or vinyl screw protector cap.

Peter den Hartogh · From: Cape Town, South Africa

Leave it as it is, it is easier to adapt to the guitar.
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Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

You have one of the finest guitars every made.....

What would possess you to even think up the thoughts of messing with and/or screwing up a vintage guitar like this?

Are you a newcomer to steel guitar?

Peter den Hartogh · From: Cape Town, South Africa

John Dahms · From: Perkasie, Pennsylvania, USA

Ouch, Ray kind of put it right to you.
To his point though, I have many steels from many makers and this model is one of my very favorites, warts and all. Once you get a feel for it you will find it just as easy to play as any. The sound is enough to inspire you to adapt to its layout. By the way I find it one of the better doublenecks to play on my lap, it sits well.

Your spacing at the nut on the 2 middle strings is off enough to notice and if you feel it should be corrected, if it was my guitar, I would fill the slots of those strings with super glue and bakelite dust mixture, let it set for days then recut them. Maybe someone else has another suggestion.
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Jim Rossen · From: Iowa, USA

Jean-Sebastien Gauthier · From: Quebec, Canada

Dan Schwartz · From: Bloomington, MN

Why the harsh comment Ray?

Newcomer or not, Jean is just asking a question. It sounds to me like he cares quite a bit for this guitar, doesn't want to damage it, but just wants to make it more playable by getting the nut adjusted by a pro.

Congrats on your new instrument Jean!
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Dan Simard · From: Quebec, Canada

Jeff Au Hoy · From: Honolulu, Hawai'i

I like Peter den Hartogh's suggestion about picking an octave up from the bar!
Maybe not applicable to all styles of music but I feel like it's the Rickenbacher "sweet spot".

Personally, I'd fill the odd slots and regroove them. People who buy instruments to put them in display cases should be shot.

Jean-Sebastien Gauthier · From: Quebec, Canada

I don't find Ray comment harsh, he have the experience and the knowledge and I respect that. I don't know much about the history and the value of things like these old guys who are legend now.

I'm a little more practical, I would like to have a Deluxe34 stand for it and want it to play well. That said I think I have a lot of respect for the stuff that have been made by hand with quality in the 40's and 50's and I have a lot of respect to for people how still work like that , like Lollar, Clinesmith, BJS and Deluxe34.

Jean-Sebastien Gauthier · From: Quebec, Canada

Ron Simpson · From: Illinois, USA

I'd suggest that you simply play the guitar for at least six months to determine if the string spacing is really a problem for you.

I have a virtually identical guitar to yours, except it was made without a neck selector switch. I first thought I might have a problem with the sympathetic string on the unused neck vibrating, but found that not to be the case.

Bottom line: they are great guitars, get to know it for a while.

Stephen Cowell · From: Round Rock, Texas, USA

The higher up the neck you pick, the more the spacing at the nut will be felt. Obviously the spacing at the bridge is OK... it's not like a spanish guitar, where the left hand fingers are looking for the strings. I'd tend to leave it be unless you can actually feel it and it bothers you... in that case, by all means get it repaired.

With a single-pickup guitar, the place you pick is your only 'pickup switch'... picking at the octave is an effect, giving a unique tone... perhaps some folks use it to try to counter the Rick's treble bite without cranking down the tone control. I say pick all over the place, use the octave when you want that effect... I hear octave picking on 'Playboy Rag', for instance.
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Chris Walke · From: St Charles, IL

....still lamenting the fact I let one of these DC-16s go several years back. Ah, decisions of the young & foolish.

Jeff Au Hoy · From: Honolulu, Hawai'i

Benjamin Franz · From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

The nut on my DC16 is irregular too. I've ben toying with the idea for years of getting them filled and recut. The irregular spacing is enough to throw me when I come off the beautifully even stringmaster.

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

The odd string spacing will negatively effect slanting accuracies and uneven seatings will be a problem nearer the nut, so get your string guages set as you'll want them so theres no buzzing/misses when the bar is at fret 1, and fill/regroove as suggested. It sux to do this on a Bakelite nut, but it needs to be virtually perfect if it's a working tool.

Jerome Hawkes · From: Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA

Just a little tidbit - This is the model that Herb Remington played with Bob Wills in the late 40s - though he said it was fussy about staying in tune - with the alum/Bakelite combo, you have both the best and worse when it comes to tone and material stability.
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Jean-Sebastien Gauthier · From: Quebec, Canada

Yes I used it for a gig yesterday and I had problems keeping it in tune. I think that the heat from the spotlights and the bakelite neck is the problem. Maybe if I tuned it just before playing and between songs I will be ok.

Jean-Sebastien Gauthier · From: Quebec, Canada

Is anybody gig regularly with this model or other bakelite steel, I would like to know how you manage the tuning problems. I really want to make this guitar my working tool but I have to be able to deal with the particularities.

Thanks.

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

THANKS for not taking my remarks as being caustic.

They WERE NOT INTENDED in that vain.

I have twelve (12) Bakelites.........and play them regularly indoors and outdoors. In the hot summer sun and under television studio lighting and alternating air conditioning, I've found my Fender, Bigsby, Trotmore and Bakelites all to be heat sensitive.

I'd learn to play the guitar FIRST!

Then and only then would I consider dinking around with structurally changing things.

As Jeff suggested: Don't pick on top of the pickup and don't be afraid to adjust AS REQUIRED, the TONE control. It's an important tool. Use it. Use the one on the amp also.
Small diameter speakers will bring out the best in your Rickenbacher.
It's as much your strings as it is the g'tar, IMHO.

Jerome Hawkes · From: Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA

Try calling / emailing Herb at Remington Steels - a lot of times these gigging players found simple solutions. The problem is 2 different materials expanding/contracting at different rates.
My B6 surprisingly stays in tune very well, though I don't gig with it much around stage lighting -( I would usually be in the back away from the lights anyway)
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'65 Sho-Bud D-10 Permanent • '54 Fender Dual-8 • Clinesmith T-8 • '38 Ric Bakelite • '92 Emmons D-10 Legrande II

Jean-Sebastien Gauthier · From: Quebec, Canada

Yes Im sure that with time I will get used to retuning it and keeping it in tune, its a good ear exercise to fine tune the steel by ear anyway. C6 tuning have to be very well tune with the 3rd and 6 th a little flat and the others a little sharp so you need good ears!

I will not make change for now, after some playing I realized that I can deal with the strings spacing at the nut like that.

Thanks for your help and experience.

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